Bush unveils Texas leadership committee with some Fort Worth connections

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on Monday released a list of more than 150 prominent supporters in Texas, including some of the state’s top elected officials and most generous GOP boosters. 

Among those initially tapped for the former Florida governor’s Texas Leadership Committee: Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions of Dallas and Bush’s son, Land Commissioner George P. Bush. Also on the list are heavyweight donors and fundraisers such as Midland oilman Javaid Anwar, Dallas developer Ross Perot Jr. and energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens. 

“Gov. Jeb Bush’s experience, steady temperament and positive vision suit this critical moment in our nation’s history,” Straus said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Gov. Bush to continue creating jobs in Texas.” 

There are several past state lawmakers on the list, including former state Rep. Dan Branch of Dallas as well as former state Sens. John Carona of Dallas, Florence Shapiro of Plano and Bob Deuell of Greenville. Outgoing state Sen. Kevin Eltife of Tyler is also on the committee. 

The group includes many known backers of Jeb Bush and his family in Texas, where his brother and father — both former presidents — reside. Bush, who was born in Midland and grew up in Houston, is most closely competing for support in the state with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who has the backing of six GOP members of the state’s congressional delegation, three statewide officials and more than one-third of Republicans in the Texas Legislature. 

The former Florida governor last visited Texas in late October, when he huddled with top campaign contributors in Houston. He is due back in the state Nov. 16 for fundraisers in Dallas and Midland. 

The complete list, as provided by the Bush campaign, is below:  

Amb. Eduardo Aguirre 

Shahla & Hushang Ansary 

Vicky & S. Javaid Anwar 

Bill Arnold 

W. A. (Billy) Attebury 

Jose Balderas III 

Anne & David Bates 

Liz & Jim Bayless 

Bruce Becker 

Nancy & Randy Best 

Marla & Mike Boone 

Shelby & Malachi Boyuls 

Stacey & The Honorable Dan Branch 

Ronda & Jim J. Brewer 

Diane & Hal Brierley 

Kate & Lane Britain 

Mary & Bill Britain 

Michelle Brock 

Amanda & The Honorable George P. Bush 

Maria & Neil Bush 

Kerry N. Cammack 

Helen & The Honorable John Carona 

Donald Carty 

Craig Casselberry 

Nancy & Joe Cavender 

Vivien & H. Scott Caven, Jr. 

Nita & Cullum Clark 

Richard H. Collins 

The Honorable Chris Daniel 

Jim Dannenbaum 

Rebecca Nelson Davis 

Paul Dickerson 

The Honorable Bob Deuell 

James R. Durnil 

The Honorable Joy Ellinger 

The Honorable Kevin Eltife 

The Honorable Ed Emmett 

Susie & The Honorable Don Evans 

Marita & Jonathan Fairbanks 

Melissa & Trevor Fetter 

Cherie & Jim Flores 

Kelli & Gerald Ford 

Sarah & Doug Foshee 

Charles C. Foster 

Cindy & Pat Fox 

Kathi & Joe Fox 

Debbie & Jim Francis 

A. Jimmy Garza 

Aquiles Jaime Garza 

Thomas E. Gleason, III 

Sherry & Kenny Goldberg 

U.S. Congresswoman Kay Granger 

Kathy & David Halbert 

Christa & Matthew Hansen 

Shelley & Jack Harper 

William C. Helms 

Paula & Jim Henry 

Daniel M. Hernandez 

Estela & Juan Hernandez 

Joacim Hernandez 

Jake D. Herod 

Greg Hill 

Ann & Lee Hobson 

Jenni & Dan Hord 

Amanda Hudges 

Liz & Mike Hughes 

Rene & Gaylord Hughey 

Gayle & Woody Hunt 

Admiral Bobby R. Inman 

Lysa Elkins & Charles Iupe 

Ann & Eric Jacobson 

Clay Johnson 

Caroline & Ray Joiner 

Bettye & Don B. Jones 

David Jones 

Amb. Robert Jordan 

Sockalingam Sam Kannappan 

Steven Kean 

Nancy & Rich Kinder 

Terri Lacy 

Lisa & Ryan Lance 

Marion & Cadell Liedtke 

Kim Locus 

Susan & The Honorable Tom Loeffler 

Debbie & Mark Low 

Diana & Todd Maclin 

Adair & The Honorable Dee Margo 

Anne & John Marion 

Dan Martinez 

Shelly & Josh Mayfield 

Shirley & Bill McIntyre 

Michael H. McKissack 

Frank Mermoud 

Meredith Merritt 

Harriet Miers 

David B. Miller 

Amy & Malone Mitchell 

Kit & Charlie Moncrief 

Jacob M. Monty 

Shanell & Walker Moody 

Lisa & Shan Moon 

Texas Moore 

Dianne Moss 

Rafa Mungia 

Artemio Temo Muniz 

Elizabeth & Chuck Nash 

Bobbie & John Nau 

Roxann Neumann 

Julie & Pat Oles 

The Honorable Harriet O’Neill 

Lesa & John Oudt 

Katie & Patrick Oxford 

The Honorable Barry Patel 

Pam & Gary Patsley 

Dr. Nolan Perez 

Margaret & Jim Perkins 

Sarah & Ross Perot, Jr. 

Bryan Pickens 

Toni & Boone Pickens 

Dabney & Jim Pierce 

Patty & Bo Pilgrim 

Doug Pitcock 

Allan B. Polunsky 

Caren Prothro 

Rodrick Ramirez 

Ellen K. Ramsey 

Phyllis & Bobby Ray 

Jan & Trevor Rees-Jones 

Patrick J. Rhode 

The Honorable Robert Riviera 

Lisa Rose 

The Honorable Beto Salinas 

Courtney & Christopher Sarofim 

Fayez Sarofim 

Kenneth R. Satterlee 

U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions 

The Honorable Florence Shapiro 

Kimberly & Scott Sheffield 

Virginia & Peter A. Sherman 

The Honorable David Sibley 

Amb. Sichan Siv 

Katie & Patrick Starley 

Andrea & Brandon Steele 

Julie & The Honorable Joe Straus 

LeeAnn & John Tatum 

Trey Thigpin 

Julie & Travis Thomas 

Trenton K. Thornock 

Amb. & Mrs. Warren W. Tichenor 

McHenry T. Tichenor, Jr. 

Debbie & John Tolleson 

Kacy & Carter Tolleson 

Diana & The Honorable Chase Untermeyer 

Hector M. Valle 

Bolton Walters 

Kate M. Walters 

Ann & Ralph Way 

Bonnie & David Weekley 

Nancy & Mike Weiss 

The Honorable Pam & George Willeford 

Sonya Medina & Gene Williams 

Welcome Wilson, Jr. 

Christen & George Wommack 

Tripp Wommack 

John B. Zachry 

Fred Zeidman 

Jay S. Zeidman 

Disclosure: T. Boone Pickens, Javaid Anwar, Ross Perot Jr., Scott Caven, Welcome Wilson, McHenry Tichenor, Don Evans, Nolan Perez, Pam & George Willeford, Fred Zeidman, Doug Pitcock, Pat Oles, John Nau, Dee Margo, Woody Hunt and Bobby Inman are major donors to The Texas Tribune. Kerry Cammack’s law firm was a corporate sponsor of the Tribune in 2009. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here. 

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/2015/11/09/bush-unveils-texas-leadership-committee/.